The Community Advisory Service, run by Nuala Williams, is your first port of call for information about what we do, and how we can help you.
When it comes to aged care, it’s often hard to know who to call and when to call them.
At Sydney Community Services we remove the guesswork for you, and whether you’ve hit crisis point or not, your first point of call for anything is our Community Advisory Service.
It may be that your enquiry is general – often people get in touch simply to ask, “what do you do?”. Sometimes the call is quite specific. There are occasions when a person, or family, has reached crisis point and they reach out to many organisations including Sydney Community Services.
No query or question is too small, too big, or will go unattended – and that is the benefit of accessing the Community Advisory Service.
Nuala Williams has been running the Community Advisory Service for 11 years, and prior to that she did the same job at North Ryde Community Aid for a decade. With that experience comes huge knowledge and a good set of ears. “First and foremost, she says, “we listen to the person’s story and try and get a full understanding of what their needs are.”
A whole raft of different people telephone the Advisory line, or drop us emails – not just the person who is in need of assistance. Sydney Community Services welcomes contact from families, carers, medical professionals, and staff from other support services in the local area who believe we can help where they can’t. We’re adept at handling all types of queries from all different parties.
However, for individuals and families, feeling informed about what’s available and guidance on how to move forward with a plan of action leads to greater optimism about living at home independently and about the future in general.
Much of the work that Advisory Service undertakes is assisting the person who has made an enquiry navigate the pathway towards accessing support services.
MyAgedCare launched in 2015 and acts as a funnel, guiding its clients to the services they require. Without approval from MyAgedCare, many services, including those offered by Sydney Community Services, cannot be accessed.
This is where Nuala and the Community Advisory Service can step in to assist you.
“We will guide you through the process of how to access MyAgedCare and what questions they are likely to ask you,” says Nuala. “Sometimes people are assessed and have been declined by MyAgedCare, in which event, we are able to talk them through other options, depending upon their requirements.”
Sometimes our work is as simple as recommending mobility programs, explaining how to obtain an occupational therapy assessment, or putting people in touch with nutritionists, dieticians, and physios. We even have contact details of hairdressers who do home visits!
Enquiries often include asking for help related to falls; memory problems; loss of mobility; difficulties with basic tasks of everyday living; organising support after a hospital stay and carer support.
Sydney Community Services understands that accepting the need for help and assistance can be tough, and in these circumstances, we are happy just to chat on the ‘phone and provide individuals and families with as much information as they require to allow for better decision making in the future.
For more information on the Community Advisory Service, click here.
Or call our main office on 02 9427 6425
